Historical Fiction Online

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I've personally never had any problems with British and Irish dialects and such words as you mention (acushla) still resonate here today. I think it is for non-native-English speakers (and by that I mean: English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish) that it might be more of an issue.

Even more of a problem for non-native writers. My most profound experience from reading the Outlander novels was that Scottish dialogue should only be written by Scots. Anything else is just cringeworthy -- almost as bad as the bad West Country accents Poldark has recently foisted on us and acting about as bad as Game of Thrones. Yes, I know there are some really decent actors in it (and in Poldark -- Phil Davis is a crackingly good actor but the script just not allow him any scope) but there are a lot of exceptionally poor ones. High production values, yes -- acting, not so much.

Interest in HF: Historical fiction was my guilty pleasure when I was in grad school, getting my Master's in History. Back then, I read everything I could about the American Revolution and early republic. Now, as I'm researching my ancestors, I'm obsessed with French history. I've stuck in the Renaissance era.

Favorite HF book: Minette by Melanie Clegg

Preferred HF: How many can I have? WWI, American Revolution, Renaissance, 18th Century,

SGM wrote:Even more of a problem for non-native writers. My most profound experience from reading the Outlander novels was that Scottish dialogue should only be written by Scots. Anything else is just cringeworthy --

Agreed. I've always heard writing teachers tell you to stay away from writing dialect. I live in the US South, and we were told strictly NOT TO WRITE any "slave dialect" in our writing. Heck, I'm white, and I would be offended with a writer using slave dialect. Yes, I'm putting Mark Twain in that category.

Speaking of Outlander, one thing I love about Gabaldon is her use of out moded words. I spend about half of my time on my Kindle outlining words that I have never heard of. I appreciate that part of her research. I get the thrill of being entertained and educated.

On the subject of Outlander, I read the first book as a UK-published paperback, and the editors had obviously taken great pains to ensure the dialogue and references were "Britishised". I hadn't even realised this until I hit the second book, and from then on there are many annoying Americanisms, although (slight spoiler)

► Show Spoiler

Claire has been living in the US by that point, so it makes slightly more sense.

Jamie's Scottish dialogue doesn't annoy me however, I was worried that it might since I grew up speaking Doric, and there is some cross-over.

Anyway slightly off topic but the Americanism that annoys me most in novels set in Britain are when a character "writes [someone]". In the UK we "write to [someone]", and I always find that particularly jarring.

I'm reading Green Darkness right now, and I find it amusing that many unpleasant things are described as "shitten". I like it.

Interest in HF: Historical fiction was my guilty pleasure when I was in grad school, getting my Master's in History. Back then, I read everything I could about the American Revolution and early republic. Now, as I'm researching my ancestors, I'm obsessed with French history. I've stuck in the Renaissance era.

Favorite HF book: Minette by Melanie Clegg

Preferred HF: How many can I have? WWI, American Revolution, Renaissance, 18th Century,